PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks have lost one of their best players to a serious injury two days before the opening of regular season.
All-Star center fielder A.J. Pollock fractured his right elbow with a head-first slide into home plate in the Diamondbacks' 7-4 exhibition victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
Manager Chip Hale said Pollock would require surgery and there was no timetable for his return. Hale said the club will know more on Saturday after the severity of the break is determined.
"We feel awful for A.J.," Hale said. "We're a family. It's like one of your family members taken away from you right now."
Pollock, in the major league lineup for the first time since being sidelined with a sore elbow problem early in spring training, held his arm in obvious pain as he left the field.
"With his (earlier elbow) injury, he had one thing we worried about was him diving head-first, putting his hand down when he landed," Hale said. "There was too much stress there."
Hale said the attitude of the team is "next man up will have to perform. We'll move some guys around."
Socrates Brito would be the likely replacement for Pollock, but Chris Owings played some center late in the game.
Pollock's injury came in Arizona's five-run third inning.
He had worked his way back playing in a series of minor league games and the Diamondbacks wanted him to play with the big league club before the season opener, at home Monday night against Colorado.
After he doubled, he took third on Paul Goldschmidt's single, then started home on David Peralta's bouncer to second baseman Omar Infante. Pollock stopped, then went home when Infante threw home, evading the tag with the throw up the third base line.
"If he goes feet-first, he'd be OK," Hale said, "but the problem is the way the play played out. If he goes feet-first, he might have gotten his leg broke by the catcher. It's just unfortunate."
Pollock fractured the same elbow in spring training in 2010 and missed the entire season.
The Diamondback open their season at home Monday night against Colorado.
